


Karaoke Night at the Rowdy Raven

by MzOuiser



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:21:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29945106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MzOuiser/pseuds/MzOuiser
Summary: Another modern AU that nobody asked for.
Relationships: Friendships - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	Karaoke Night at the Rowdy Raven

**Author's Note:**

> Songs referenced in this work:  
> Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper  
> Dreamweaver by Gary Wright  
> Like It Or Not by Madonna  
> When You Wish Upon a Star by Cliff Edwards  
> Hurt by Nine Inch Nails  
> Creep by Radiohead

Portia tapped the mic, sending a THUD THUD through the room. “Alright you drunkards, time to drop what little inhibitions you have left and join in the Rowdy Raven’s first ever Karaoke night!”

A collective groan rolled through the crowd, but most patrons simply ignored her.

“I know, I know, you probably suck. So my friends are getting us started off, and trust me, some of us suck too! I, however, am AWESOME, so Gino, hit it!”

Pop music swirls through the bar, completely out of place among the grime and rough-and-tumble patrons. Most don’t bother looking up from their card games or tankards, but a few cast their bleary eyes over to the corner of the room where Portia is standing on a box singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” She’s having the time of her life, and actually, I had to admit… she really is pretty awesome.

“So this is why she was so determined to do this,” I muttered to Julian. “She can actually sing.”

Julian claps me on the back. “That’s my sister!! WOO HOO! SING IT SIREN!” Julian tries standing up and doing some sort of wiggle dance but loses his balance and sits right back down again.

Ohhhhkay. This is going to be… interesting. Julian was the first to sign up, promising us a show. I’m already cringing.

My singing days are long in the past, and I don’t remember much of it. That was my previous life. Asra told me I was a popular entertainer, and I do still enjoy singing when I’m by myself in the shop, or taking a solitary walk. But getting up onstage like Portia? This took a lot of cajoling, and I’m still not excited about it. But Portia made all of us promise. 

I knock back the floral stuff in my tankard that Barth said I would like… it’s not bad. I look around the room and more people are actually listening to Portia. She’s smiling like the sun and her hair is bouncing around her face and it’s quite infectious. The song ends and, to my surprise, the room bursts into thunderous applause.

“MY TURN” bellows Julian, bounding out of his seat and across the floor. He sweeps Portia up into a big hug and twirls her around. “My sister everyone!” People are still applauding. They are really sweet, this crazy brother and sister team.

Portia is back on the mic. “Ok everyone, I’m sure you all know my brother Ilya, who is clearly dying to get started, so here he is!” Julian grabs the mic and launches into some sea shanty that everyone in the bar seems to know. The next thing I know EVERYONE, including Nadia, is singing along boistrously. The noise, the cacaphony… I want to cover my ears, but I don’t want to be rude. 

“I’LL GET YOU A REFILL,” Asra hollers at me, noticing my discomfort. 

“GODS THANK YOU” I holler back.

Asra takes way too long getting my drink, as he’s chatting with Gino at the table next to the bar. I pound my fist on the table a few times. Laughing, Asra brings my drink. “I’M NEXT,” he shouts, blushing. I laugh just to tease him, raising my glass. 

“GOOD LUCK!” I holler at Asra while he rolls his eyes.

Asra has chosen an old song I haven’t heard in years. The opening instrumental sounds like wind, or sparkles, or falling stars… like magic. He replaces Portia’s box with a barstool. He sits down and closes his eyes, his ears tipped in red. I wonder how many refills he’s had. But when he sings, he sounds clear and dreamy, almost like he’s whispering in my ear. The room quiets down. I know he hasn’t cast any spells but everyone seems to be under his spell, that’s for sure.

“Dreamweaver… I believe you can get me through the night…” Asra sings. The light shines through his hair like a halo. My heart thumps in my chest. I’m proud of my friend. Everything he does seems to be magical.

“Fly me high through the starry skies  
Maybe to an astral plane  
Cross the highways of fantasy  
Help me to forget today's pain…”

Well I sure as hell ain’t gonna follow that. I notice that the whole bar is transfixed by his performance. Julian is gazing, resting his chin in his hand, eyes glazed. Nadia is listening with her eyes closed, looking enraptured. Standing near Gino, Portia is on the verge of tears. 

Over in the corner, with the gamblers, much to my shock, I see Lucio, former count of Vesuvia. According to Julian he returned to the mercenary lifestyle not too long ago. He fits right in with the pirates and smugglers in the crowd. Do the rest of my crowd know he’s here? He’s watching Asra like everyone else, looking… surprised? Irritated? It’s hard to read his face. 

It’s then I realize Muriel hasn’t shown up. 

Not that anyone expected him to. Asra practically begged him. After much haranguing, Muriel mumbled something about stopping by, but it was pretty clear this was the last place he’d ever choose to go. Admittedly I was against the idea myself… but in the end I had to admit, The people-watching alone was worth the trip.

Just as Asra is finishing the final notes of his song, and the crowd bursts into applause, I see him. There, hanging halfway outside the door, is Muriel. How long has he been there? Did he get to hear all of Asra’s amazing song? I want to go ask him but I don’t want to give away his position, so I don’t move. 

Suddenly Muriel’s eyes lock with mine. I see the panic - he’s been caught. I place my finger to my lips in a SHhhh gesture, and wink at him. He seems to relax. I look away to cheer on Asra, but when I look back for Muriel, he is gone.

Asra returns to the table and Nadia hugs him. “Simply enchanting,” she purrs. Asra’s face is bright red. I get up and hug him too. “Did you see Muriel?” I say into his ear.

“yeah,” Asra says with a huge grin. “I saw him lurking out there.” Asra wraps his arms around me in a deliciously warm hug. He’s a happy drunk. I enjoy it for a moment, but Nadia is starting to sing, so I gently unwrap Asra’s arms, sit him down on the bench next to Julian (you’re welcome Julian), and sit on the other side of him.

“I'll be the garden  
You'll be the snake  
All of my fruit  
Is yours to take  
Better the devil that you know  
Your love for me will grow”

DAMN, Nadia. This is one sexy number. Some of the drunker spectators start whistling. I frown at one of them, this is the COUNTESS OF VESUVIA you disrespectful moron. Eh… Nadia is smiling knowingly. Does she mind? Does she like the attention?

“This is who I am  
You can like it or not  
You can love me  
Or leave me  
'Cause I'm never gonna stop”

Over at the bar Barth is wide-eyed and practically drooling. Nadia is dressed down tonight but her figure is unmistakable, and that hair, those ruby eyes… I feel a pang of jealousy in my gut, wishing I were half that beautiful. She’s royalty and it shows in her every movement.

As she finishes, Julian is pushing us out of the way, trying to get up. I assume he’s headed for the men’s room, but he makes a beeline for Portia and Gino. After a few seconds of discussion, Portia takes the mic.

”We’re gonna take a little break folks. More to come!”

“Gods, what is Ilya up to now,” Asra groans.

“He’s probably gonna sing you a love song in front of all these people,” I joke. 

Asra howls in anguish and runs his hands through his hair. “I’m gonna go see if Muriel’s still hanging around out there.” He rushes for the door and disappears.

My drink is empty again and I know I’m gonna need more. I head to the bar but Nadia stops me. “Aren’t you next?” She asks with a twinkle in her eye. “You wouldn’t be running off and leaving us early, would you?”

“NO! Of course not! I just need another…” I look down at my tankard. “What is this shit anyway?”

Nadia sniffs delicately at my empty cup. “Smells better than those Bitters and Ales. Fill up and get me one?”

“You were incredible, by the way,” I say to Nadia, the booze in me making me brazen. “SO HOT. Everyone in this bar fell in love with you!”

Nadia laughs “Thank you dear, although I’m sure you exaggerate. You will put us all to shame.”

At the bar, getting our drinks, Asra and Portia flank me and I get simultaneous side-hugs. 

”You’re up next!” Portia chirps. “You’re going to do great!”

Asra runs his fingers through my hair, pushing some behind my ear. His violet eyes seem to look right though me. “I remember your singing. It was magical. You enchanted everyone who heard you.” My cheeks are suddenly hot. “No pressure though!” Asra declares, laughing, as he heads back to our table. Idly I wonder if he ever found Muriel. I look to the door… there is a giant shadow but I don’t see anyone.

Portia introduces me, and, well, here I go…

I’m singing a song my mother used to sing to me as a child, one of the few memories from my past that I've recovered. Even if the crowd doesn’t like it, my friends will. And I need to do something familiar and comforting or there’s no way I’ll get through this.

”When you wish upon a star  
Makes no difference who you are  
Anything your heart desires will come to you…”

I can feel the hush over the room. My voice feels ok. Actually I’m not feeling much. I’m thankful for the bright light in my face, as it’s blinding me from seeing anything but the lyrics. I might as well be alone somewhere. I start to relax.

“Fate is kind…  
She brings to those who love  
The sweetest blossom of  
Their secret longings…”

I’m enjoying myself. I’m glad for the barstool I’m sitting on, as I’m a bit woozy from all those flowery drinks, but I feel the music swelling in my chest and I feel my voice vibrating in my head, and I’m not just drunk on alcohol, I’m drunk on music, on singing, on emotions.

”If your heart is in your dream,  
No request is too extreme  
When you wish upon a star  
Your dreams come true”

I finish on a glistening high note.

I’m startled back to reality when I hear the noise. People clapping, people shouting, people cheering. For me. It takes me a minute to coordinate my legs, but I manage to step down from the barstool without stumbling. A sheepish grin and a nod to the crowd, and I’m threading the needle back to our table as fast as I can go.

Thankfully there is a fresh drink waiting for me and I am chugging before I’m even seated. “Whew, that’s over,” I huff.

“Muriel was listening the whole time,” Asra informs me, sotto voce. He tilts his head toward the door.

Sure enough, peeking in from the outside, are a pair of green eyes framed by floppy black hair. We lock eyes and I have to catch my breath. Muriel smiles at me. My jaw falls open. HE SMILED AT ME. Then, like a ghost, he disappears.

”Asra wow. Did you see that? HE SMILED AT ME. Muriel never smiles!!”

Asra laughs. “You should have seen his face while you were singing. You wrapped him around your little finger. And all the rest of us too.” He glances at Julian, who, I am just now noticing, is wiping tears from him cheeks, looking at me like… I don’t know what that is, but it’s embarrassing.

I punch Julian in the bicep. “STOP THAT” I yell at him. Nadia laughs heartily at our antics.

Asra and I look at each other… we seem to be thinking the same thing. “I’m gonna get some air,” I whisper-shout. Asra nods.

I make my way outside the tavern. Muriel is nowhere to be seen. I look up and down the street but nobody is out. It must be pretty late. I decide to walk around the building to the alley… and there I find Muriel, shuffling away.

“Muriel, wait!” I shout after him. “Please wait?”

He stops but doesn’t turn around. I cautiously approach him, circling around his side so he can see me coming. He turns and looks at me.

I don’t quite know what to say. This enormous hulking man still intimidates me, even after getting to know what a gentle giant he truly is. My instincts are always to leave him alone, don’t crowd him, don’t ask him too many questions, don’t pressure him to speak. But I’ve had a lot to drink tonight.

“How… how long were you at the door?” I ask tentatively.

Muriel shifts his weight from one foot to the next, avoiding my gaze. “Long enough.”

“You heard me sing.” I say, feeling somewhat nervous.

Suddenly he looks at me. “Every word,” he replies, green eyes gazing into mine.

Now it’s my turn to shuffle uncomfortably. “Well…” I can’t help but fidget with my shirt hem. “Did you… like it? Did I sound ok? I was really nervous…”

Muriel stands as still as a statue. Incredulously, he smiles again. Anther smile, just for me. “You were great. You sounded... like the old days.” He pauses and I realize I’m holding my breath. He just looks at me and says “You were beautiful.”

I feel like I might pass out. I know I’m suddenly grinning like an idiot. “Damn,” I blurt out. “Thanks.” Why am I the one blushing and he’s not!? I glance around the alley, there’s nobody here but us.

“Gonna head home,” Muriel says, still looking into my eyes, the last tiny vestiges of a smile still remaining on his lips. “See ya.” He turns and begins making his way into the night.

“WAIT!” I call after him. I can see the startle in his eyes as he turns back around to me. “Don’t you…” I stammer, “don’t you want to say hi to Asra?”

Muriel looks down and scratches the back of his neck, and says nothing.

“I mean,” I continue, “everyone is here, Nadia, Portia, Julian, everyone was hoping you’d come.” I step closer to him and look him square in the face. “I know you heard Asra sing.”

Muriel’s face twists. “Yeah, he can sing alright.”

“Don’t you want to tell him he did good?”

“He saw me there.”

“Oh…” I’m out of ideas. “Well, I guess I could… tell him for you.”

Muriel is looking at me strangely. I’m pretty much done with all this discomfort and I want another drink. I sigh, and smile at Asra’s quiet, shy, massive, handsome friend. “Thanks for coming Muriel. Thanks for hearing me. It means a lot to me that… that you liked it.”

Before he can respond, I turn away, and walk back to the tavern. After a few seconds I can hear his feet shuffling away.

Back at our table, Portia has joined us, and she and Nadia are in some sort of involved discussion about palace matters. Nadia has taken her hair out of it’s combs and it’s falling everywhere. I’ve never seen her look so comfortable. She’s laughing heartily at Portia’s theatrical description of some incident in the kitchens. Asra is at the bar chatting with some people I don’t know, and Julian is falling asleep with his head on Portia’s shoulder.

I tell Asra what transpired between Muriel and myself outside in the alleyway. Asra scratches his head and sighs. “Well, honestly, we didn’t think he’d show at all. It’s nice that he at least wanted to listen.”

I suppress a giggle. “Can you imagine Muriel singing Karaoke? What do you think he’d sing?”

“OH GODS,” Asra laughs. “NO WAY. I can’t imagine him singing alone in his hut!! Although… honestly… I can see him, like, reading poetry or something.”

“NO ASRA. Like wearing a black beret and sunglasses reciting Kerouac!?” We both double over laughing. This is mean. We’re being mean. But this is too funny.

“OK, ok, that’s enough,” I say. “We’re going to hell in a fast car, you and I.”

Asra sighs. “I know. This will be our little secret.”

The bar is emptying out. There’s only a few people left, besides our little table of friends. Julian hops up onto the bar stool and grabs the mic, clearing his throat loudly.

“Well, ah… I decided to bless you all with one more. Gino, if you please.”

The music that plays is slow. Very slow. And sad. And a little discordant. What is he doing?

When Julian starts to sing, he stays in his seat. This isn’t his usual sort of rowdy party performance. He’s somber… he’s baring his heart.

“What have I become?  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end…”

There’s something commanding about his honesty. It’s not a difficult song to sing but it’s so emotional. I’m very moved… and looking over at Asra, it’s clear he is too.

“I wear this crown of thorns  
Upon my liar's chair  
Full of broken thoughts  
I cannot repair”

I look at Nadia, who is listening intently. Looking around I notice Lucio is gone, along with all the other ne’er-do-wells at that table. Portia isn’t paying attention, she’s helping Barth clean up, a tense look on her face. Julian’s song is clawing at my heart.

“Beneath the stains of time  
The feelings disappear  
You are someone else  
I am still right here”

I think back to when I first met all these people. All these friends of mine. Everything we have lived through together, everything we have survived together. So many complicated emotions that grew out of the unique closeness we have all shared. We have all grown and changed so much. And here we are, still together, still loving each other, with a bond that will likely never be broken.

“And you can have it all…”

When the song fades, everything is silent for a moment. I start the clapping and everyone follows. Nadia stands, and we all stand with her. Portia is crying and disappears behind the bar into the kitchen. Asra looks pained.

When Julian returns to the table, Asra enfolds him into a crushing hug. 

“OK SOMEBODY SING SOMETHING PEPPY” I holler into the room. Everyone bursts out laughing and the moment is effictively closed. Barth is shooing Portia back to our table, and I notice that all the other patrons are leaving. We’ve officially closed the place down.

“I think we can declare the first official Rowdy Raven Karaoke Night a resounding success!” Portia declares. We all laugh and pat her on the back. 

“It wasn’t as awful as I feared, that’s for sure,” I tell her, tugging one of her curls.

We all file out into the night. The stars are dazzling, the moon is full. 

“Well that explains a lot,” jokes Asra, pointing to the moon. 

Nadia offers everyone a ride home, but Asra and I decline. Slipping his hand into mine, twining our fingers together, we decide to walk home.

After a while, Asra stops. “Wait a minute…” he says. He’s looking across the town square, at one of the late-night eateries. “Well I’ll be damned.”

Sitting there, munching on a stick of smoked eel, is Muriel.

“Come on!” I whisper to Asra, grinning. My enthusiasm is infectious and Asra and I jog over to the eatery.

“Muriel!! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Asra barks, much too loudly, clapping his friend on the shoulder. I grin breathlessly, watching the show.

Muriel is startled and not amused. “I got hungry.”

“Come on. You’ve been out all night,” Asra wheedles. “Why didn’t you come say hello?”

“Too crowded in there. And loud.”

“Hey, can we get two more of those over here?” Asra calls to the line cook, who nods and smiles back at us. Muriel grunts and looks away.

Out in the town square, people are walking home from whatever nightly entertainment they’ve been to. The Community Theatre has let out, and most of the taverns are closing. Someone is sitting on the edge of the big fountain with a stringed instrument, playing a soft tune. Couples walk home holding hands, some arm in arm. Friends stumble along laughing, recounting the night’s events. Vesuvia is alive, and happy.

I sit down on the bench opposite Asra and Muriel and munch on my smoked eel kebab. Asra is having a high old time telling Muriel all about our evening, and Muriel is clearly not interested, but letting him talk.

At some point, I get up, following my ears to the instrumentalist in the square. I don’t know them, but the song they are playing is familiar. I stroll over to the fountain and drop a few coins in their hat. 

“Thank you!” the instrumentalist says, looking up at me. Suddenly they do a double take. “Whoa. It’s you.”

I’m confused, and I smile nervously. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“Not in person, but I remember you! You were a star! You had the most beautiful voice. My parents had your record!” The young person’s eyes are shining. “I can’t believe it’s really you!”

They just called me old, I think to myself sullenly. “Thank you,” I mutter. 

“Hey, are you performing anywhere these days? Do you need a band? I don’t just play guitar you know, I play piano too. Maybe we could…”

I stop them right there. “Those days are in the past, my friend. I do other things now.” I manifest an orb of light in my palm, and expand it to a rainbow reaching to my other palm. The instrumentalist gasps. I push the energy up over our heads and the rainbow light goes flying off into the night.

The instrumentalist swallows and moves a few steps away from me. “I… I see. Wow. That was cool.”

I smile warmly and rest a gentle hand on their shoulder. “Please continue your lovely playing? I really was enjoying it on this beautiful night.”

But I’ve blown it. The young instrumentalist is clearly terrified. I guess they’ve never met a magician before. “…it was nice meeting you!” they stammer, and runs off into the night.

“Wait!” I call out. “You left your guitar!”

I pick up the abandoned instrument. It’s in pretty shabby shape. I look in the direction the instrumentalist ran, but nobody is there. Am I really that scary?

I sit down on the edge of the fountain and strum the strings. They make an agonized sound. I have no idea how to play this thing.

“Did you steal that kids’ guitar!?” Asra is suddenly before me looking shocked.

“NO! Apparently they…” I chew my lip for a minute. “They recognized me, Asra.”

Asra stares. “Wow. Really?” Asra sits next to me. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” I sigh. “They asked if I was still a singer, and I showed them a little light trick. I guess they've never seen magic before because it scared the pants off them and they ran off without this,” I explain, looking at the guitar.

Asra takes the instrument from me and plays around with it, making more awful noises. We both laugh lightly.

“STOP IT.” Suddenly Muriel is standing in front of us. I guess he finished his eel. I look around, and the square is deserted. Everyone has gone home. There’s nobody in sight except for me, Asra, and a very grumpy looking Muriel.

“Sorry. I just thought I’d try it,” Asra says, shrugging.

Muriel grabs the guitar from Asra, sits down on the ground in front of us… and begins to play.

Both Asra and I are stunned. What? Since when can Muriel play an instrument? I look questioningly at Asra, but Asra is just as shocked as I am.

Then, slowly, after a few seconds, very very softly… Muriel begins to sing.

“When you were here before  
Couldn't look you in the eye  
You're just like an angel…”

My heart is pounding in my chest. I am seeing something I am quite sure no one on the planet has ever seen before. Asra is still as stone next to me, barely even breathing, watching Muriel with pure wonder as Muriel’s hands move over the strings.

”You float like a feather  
In a beautiful world  
You're so very special  
I wish I was special  
But I’m a creep…”

I know this song. It’s a classic. It’s very emotional… and something in it clearly speaks to Muriel. I stop holding my breath and just listen with an open heart.

“...I'm a weirdo  
What the hell am I doin' here?  
I don't belong here…”

Why Muriel chose this moment to share this with us I’ll never know. Asra, his oldest, and for most of his life his only, friend, and me… I can’t bring myself to move but suddenly I’m incredibly self-conscious. Muriel and I haven’t known each other long, and our friendship grew largely out of our shared closeness to Asra. I’ve never known quite how to read him. He’s never been anything but kind to me, in his quiet, gruff way. 

“She’s running out the door  
She’s running out…”

He could have left the Rowdy Raven after hearing Asra sing, but he stayed to hear me.

The song builds to its famous climax and Muriel is singing louder than we’ve ever heard him talk. Just for a few notes. And then…

I feel uncomfortably warm. My heart is beating. I move to hold Asra’s hand, but he pulls away, with an almost imperceptible head shake: No.

“Whatever makes you happy  
Whatever you want  
You're so very special  
I wish I was special  
But I'm a creep  
I'm a weirdo  
What the hell am I doin' here?  
I don't belong here..”

And with one last strum across the strings, the song is over.

Nobody speaks. I don’t think we’re even breathing. Muriel is staring down at his hands.

Asra swallows. “Muriel. My friend. That was… incredible. Why have you never told me you could do that?” His voice is quiet, gentle but amazed.

Muriel looks up and simply says “You never asked.”

I can’t help but laugh at that, and immediately clap my hand over my mouth in embarrassment. But Muriel looks at me with the biggest, most mischievous grin on his face and starts to laugh along with me. Muriel and I are laughing at Asra, and eventually, Asra can’t help but laugh too.

“Muriel,” I finally say, feeling completely sober, looking deeply into his eyes. “You were beautiful.” He just sits there. “Thank you, my friend.”

Muriel gets up slowly. He looks at me, but says nothing. He smiles a bit. Then he looks at Asra. “See ya.” He lumbers off in the direction of the woods, taking the instrument with him.

Asra and I just stand there. This time he reaches for my hand, and I do not pull away. We just stand there, holding hands, watching our enigmatic friend walk away.

“Let’s go home,” we both say at once. We walk together with our arms around each others’ waists, thinking about how beautiful the night is.


End file.
